In case you've been living under a rock, the federal government is shutdown, which means a slew of folks are being forced to take unpaid days off work, and lots of services are out of commission until Congress can get its act together. Here are a few ways the shutdown is playing out: It's NASA's party, and it can cry if it wants to NASA had the saddest birthday party ever today. Instead of a big celebration for its 55th anniversary, 97 percent of employees spent the day at home on a mandatory furlough. Workers won't be able to return until the government resolves their funding issue. With such a high rate of employee furloughs, NASA is the agency with the highest percentage of workers being forced out of the office. "NASA will shut down almost entirely, but Mission Control will remain open to support the astronauts serving on the space station," President Obama said Monday. NASA also has time sensitive operations at stake. If the government shutdown carries on longer than expected, it could jeopardize the launch of a new probe experiment, the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN), meant to study the atmosphere of Mars. The launch is slated for November 18. Read more http://www.bustle.com/articles/6056...es-800000-workers-sitting-at-home-with-no-pay
